Texans Run Game Silenced in Divisional Round By Elite Ravens Defense

The Houston Texans saw their season end in Baltimore, losing to the Ravens in the Divisional Round, 34-10. Their run game was non-existent, accelerating their misfortunes.

The Houston Texans weren’t expected to do much of anything this season, with fears of rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud being left out to dry. For much of the season, that turned out not to be true. Houston exceeded every expectation and dismantled the Cleveland Browns in the Wildcard Round.

On Sunday, their journey continued, taking on the Baltimore Ravens in their building for the right to play in the AFC Championship Game. Against a more talented team, Houston’s preseason fears came to fruition.

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That isn’t to say Stroud doesn’t share blame for the loss, or that nobody else played well. But the Texans needed a lot to go their way to take down the Ravens. A disastrous performance from the ground game and a litany of errors up front was never going to get it done. Houston lost 34-10.

Offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik had often emphasized early-down runs to get more zone looks from under center. However, it quickly became clear that Baltimore was well-suited to stop the run after the week off.

Starting running back Devin Singletary ran nine times for 22 yards. One of those went for 16 yards, meaning he averaged less than a yard per carry on everything else. Stroud wasn’t able to generate much as a scrambler, and backup running back Dare Ogunbowale ran twice for seven yards.

In total, Houston rushed for 38 yards. The Ravens ran for 229.

The Texans’ inability to run the ball – generating -0.45 expected points added per rush – immediately put Stroud behind the eight ball. Slowik likes to run the ball on early downs, but Houston was consistently in second or third-and-long. The Ravens were able to pin their ears back and pressure Stroud all evening.

He was frequently forced out of the pocket and into out-of-structure situations where he was forced to make low-percentage throws. Houston didn’t take a snap in Baltimore’s red zone and didn’t score an offensive touchdown.

Singletary had an exceptional second half of the season, but his luck ran dry on Sunday. The offensive line was overmatched by a dominant Ravens front and Singletary – lacking the juice to break off explosives and the build to punch defenses in the mouth – was unable to make a difference.

Despite Playoff Blowout, Future Remains Bright For Texans

Overreacting to a single game isn’t a sound team-building strategy, but Houston has the resources to build a contender during Stroud’s rookie deal. 

This season is an excellent head start. Adding a back that can do the things Singletary can’t and be a little more likely to find success when the offensive line struggles could very well be a point of emphasis as the Texans transition into the offseason.